Leaders of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub say three of the effort’s main initiatives are “advancing swiftly” as partners leverage state and federal dollars to boost the sector.
Lead partner BioForward yesterday announced projects are underway to drive workforce development in Madison and Milwaukee, bolster statewide networks for biotech startups, and further develop cancer care innovation in Waukesha through GE HealthCare.
The state’s tech hub effort has landed $49 million in federal funding and was provided $7.5 million in matching funds from the state under legislation Gov. Tony Evers signed into law last year.
Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, says the progress being made wouldn’t have been possible without the state support as well as industry partners and higher education. In a statement yesterday, she called the tech hub initiative “a launchpad for advancing national and economic security for the United States through statewide collaboration, job creation, and industry leadership.”
As part of the workforce development initiative getting funding through the tech hub, Madison Area Technical College is leading a regional effort to expand credentialing in biological sciences and training opportunities. Mark Thomas, the college’s chief strategy officer, says the project aims to prepare students and professionals for jobs in the sector.
Under the same initiative, Milwaukee Area Technical College is moving forward with creating a new training facility for the tech hub’s infrastructure and workforce projects, through the ABC Pathways project. Other local groups including Employ Milwaukee are also offering career development and other help to youth and underrepresented groups.
Meanwhile, GE HealthCare is “scaling next-generation oncology care” at its site in Waukesha with support from the state matching funds, the release shows. Along with developing its engineering and product development footprint in Wisconsin, the health technology company says it’s also working with UW-Madison and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin on new cancer care clinical tools.
Shannon Beach, the company’s senior director of global AI and clinical collaborations, highlights the promise of advancing diagnostics and therapies as well as personalized patient care.
“It’s an exciting step toward measurable patient impact,” she said.
See the release and get more information on tech hub projects here.
